This invention relates to a transport mechanism for transporting a film card (microfiche) or comparable object, guided between two straight guides, from one station to another, for example for transporting a film card from a film card holder to a film card magazine, having a feeder mechanism for gripping and transporting a film card or comparable object. Said feeder mechanism is positioned at the end of a straight guide where the transport is to be carried out and can be moved at right angles in relation to the film card or comparable object. The feeder mechanism has two discs which are able to rotate and to perform a pincer-wise motion towards the film card or comparable object and form an acuate angle in gripping position. At least one of said discs is provided with a motor, the direction of rotation of which can be reversed, according to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 541,583, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,151.
In the embodiment described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,151, the discs are provided at one end of a relatively long lever. When these two levers pivot towards the film card, the discs approach each other, thus rendering it possible for the respective film card to be gripped and transported. As it is necessary that one of the discs tilt in the respective direction of transport at an inclined angle relative to the film card, one of the discs is mounted pivotably on the corresponding lever in a manner that renders it possible for the disc to tilt independently towards the respective direction of transport.
The film cards or comparable objects which are to be transported with a transport mechanism are often of different thickness or undulated as a result of internal stress. With the mechanism such as discloses in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,151, such differences in the qualities of the objects to be transported make it necessary to optimize the entire mechanism for the respective application by appropriate dimensioning of the levers. That is to say, for different applications, strongly differing transport mechanisms have to be manufactured, which is uneconomical.